


A Quiet Truth

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 09:29:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12296316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She didn't trust him. How could she? He was Galra.And so am I, Keith thought. But he quickly shoved the idea away. Soon enough, she would know - they would all know.





	A Quiet Truth

     Being Galra was complicated, to say the least.

     It was a startling revelation - _“Galra blood must run through your veins”_ \- yet part of Keith had already known, had already come to terms with the truth of his lineage. A shadow of suspicion had long hung in his mind, and to hear those words spoken only confirmed what he had begun to accept as the truth. And yet...and yet it still stung. _Galra_. It struck him like a sharp slap to his reality. Suddenly, a word that had so often been seen as a synonym for evil, so often spoken like it was a poison - suddenly that word was brought home to him in the most unpleasant way.

_You are Galra. You are evil._

     Shiro had been there. He had heard the declaration himself, and though his eyes widened with surprise he never left Keith's side. As they left together, he said, “Nothing has changed - at least not to me”; and Keith was grateful to have his best friend still standing with him, still supporting him.

     Telling the others, Keith knew, was not going to be as simple of a task.

 

     When they returned to the Castle of Lions, the priority was to establish a connection between the Paladins and the Blade of Marmora. Keith set aside his personal troubles for the time being. He couldn't help but worry, however, when he saw how tersely Allura spoke with Kolivan. She didn't trust him. How could she? He was Galra.

      _And so am I,_ Keith thought. But he quickly shoved the idea away. Soon enough, she would know - they would all know.

 

     At last the moment came. They were gathered on the deck, the Paladins and Coran and Allura. Keith's teammates watched him with curiosity as he cleared his throat to explain why he had gathered them all there. He wasn't one for making a big show; when his lips parted no words came to mind, and for a moment he scrambled for what to say. 

     A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. Keith looked back to see Shiro offering a look of encouragement. With a nod, Keith turned back to the others and began to speak. He told them first of the knife - a token of his past that he had been carrying all this time. He told them of how the Blade of Marmora had questioned him, how they had forced him through trial after trial until finally, at the end of it all, he had offered to surrender the knife to end the Red Lion’s attack.

     “And then I knew,” he finished. “I'm...I'm a Galra.”

     The silence was palpable. For a long time the others were silent, shocked; and then Hunk shouted “IT'S OKAY BUDDY!” and the spell was promptly broken. The next thing he knew, Keith had been scooped into a crushing hug by the Yellow Paladin. “I still love you!” Hunk said, and the slightest of smiles crept onto Keith's lips.

     “That's certainly a surprise,” said Coran, even as he joined Hunk and Shiro by Keith's side. Pidge said nothing, but she smiled at him and stepped closer to show her support. 

     Lance studied Keith for a moment, his eyes squinted in suspicion. Finally he stated, “Well, I guess if you were a Galra spy you would have killed us all by now.” The Red Paladin shot him a glare and he added, “What? It's true!” The others collectively laughed. Keith was beginning to feel a bit better - and then he locked eyes with the princess.

     She was staring at him, arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze was cold, devoid of the usual warmth and respect she gave him, and all the anxiety he had felt earlier came rushing back.

     “Princess?” Keith murmured.

     The others stopped their chatter and focused on Allura, watching her for a response. Keith took a step forward and they parted around him, giving him space to approach the final member of their team. He stopped just in front of her.

     “Allura?” he whispered. _Please. Please, don't leave me._

     Allura dropped her gaze. “I'm sorry, Keith,” she answered quietly, shifting away. “I - I just...need time to think.” And before anyone could stop her, she was gone.

     “Don't worry, Keith,” Coran said. “I'm sure she'll come around...”

     But all Keith could hear as he stared after her was the beating of his broken heart.


End file.
